User blog:GlitterInformer/Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force SDC: Around the World
Return to Final Thoughts | Return to the Table of Contents A long, long time ago, I did a full sub/dub comparison between Smile Pretty Cure! and Glitter Force. In this long, extensive comparison, we only covered two of the languages the anime has been dubbed in. It turns out there are a lot more. Some of these dubs are based off Glitter Force while others come right from the original. I may not be able to judge these dubs all that well, given that French is the only language on this list I understand more than a couple words of, but I’ll do my best. Right now, this article is incomplete. That’s because there are a lot of different versions to cover. It’s also because I’m working on the Doki Doki! Pretty Cure sub/dub comparison at the same time. So, I’ll be updating this article little by little as time goes on. It might be a very long time until it’s completed. Well, with that said, let’s stop loafing around and jump right in! German The German dub of Smile Pretty Cure! is more like a German dub of Glitter Force, and it’s also called Glitter Force. This dub is very faithful to the American Glitter Force. The opening theme and ending themes are kept in English, and the girls’ names are unchanged. There are some differences, the biggest I can think of being the changing of the team’s Glitter Force names. Instead of being Glitter Lucky, Glitter Sunny, etc., they’re named after what color they are (Glitter Pink, for example). Unfortunately, this dub is so faithful to the American version that I’d imagine it makes things harder for German audiences. For example, Emily pledges allegiance to the flag in episode 1, even though I doubt that’s a thing in Germany. Another example from episode 1 is in Emily’s dream. The American version has Glitter Peace saying, “We want peace! Glitter Peace!” In the German dub, the name changes mean that this pun is lost. No matter, as she never says it again in the entire show. Finally, the German subtitles don’t match up with the dialogue. They use the American names instead of the German names: for instance, they transcribe “Glitter Pink” as “Glitter Lucky”. With all that out of the way, let’s dive in! * Emily transforms into Glitter Pink. Her voice actress is Katharina von Daake. Unlike in the American version, where it took Emily until the second episode to not sound artificial, Emily Anderson is filled with energy and emotion. o Sparkle Storm becomes Glitter Storm '(“Glitzer-Sturm” in German, though I may be wrong, as the subtitles don’t match up well, forcing me to guess). o Cinderella Sparkle Storm becomes '''Cinderella Glitter Storm '(“Aschenputtel-Glitzer Sturm” in German) o I don’t know what the German name for Sparkle Storm Shining is, unfortunately. I know it starts with “Glitter Storm” (“Glitzer-Sturm”), but I don’t know what the last word is. The subtitles say it’s “Glitzer-Sturm Leuchte”, meaning “Glitter Storm Light”, but it sounds like Glitter Pink is saying, “Glitzer-Sturm Shower”. It’s probably not “Shower”, but that’s what it sounded like to me. o As a final note, I’m not sure exactly what Emily says before “Glitter Bands” and “Glitter Boots”, but it sounds a heck of a lot better than “Poof poof”. *Kelsey transforms into 'Glitter Red '(“Glitter Rot” in German). Her voice actress is Amira Leisner, who isn’t as experienced as Daake. This doesn’t keep her from doing just as great of a job as Daake, though. By the way, Kelsey’s “Sledgehammer Slammer” volleyball move is kept as is in the German dub. o Sparkle Fire becomes '''Glitter Fire (“Glitzer-Feuer” in German). Like the American version, this attack is misnamed in episode 2. In the original Glitter Force, it was called Fire Spike. I can’t tell what the German version called it, but I think it was Fire Burn. o Sparkle Fire Inferno becomes Glitter Fire Inferno (“Glitzer-Feuer Inferno” in German). *Lily transforms into Glitter Yellow (“Glitter Gelb” in German). Her voice actress is Lisa Dzyadyk, who is as inexperienced as Leisner. She isn’t as bubbly and energetic as Daake and Leisner are as Emily and Kelsey. On top of that, she doesn’t have the cuteness of Yayoi or the original Lily. In terms of acting and emotion, she’s on-and-off at first but gets better in later episodes. Overall, Dzyadyk’s acting does its job, but her voice is ultimately forgettable. o I believe Sparkle Lightning retains its name, though it’s “Funkelnder-Blitz” in German. Odd that Yellow is the only one whose attacks don’t start with “Glitter”. o Sparkle Lightning Hurricane becomes (I think)' Sparkle Lightning Tornado' (“Funkelnder-Blitz Tornado” in German). Oddly, Netflix’s subtitles always translate it as Sparkle Lightning Hurricane (“Fulkelnder Blitz-Hurrikan”). o Goldenlight retains her name. *April transforms into Glitter Green (“Glitter Grün” in German). Her voice actress is Nicole Hise. Hise does a great job of sounding like a cool big sister, but she doesn’t do well with extreme emotions such as anger and shock. For example, in episode 42->34, when the bad guys put her siblings in danger, she only sounds stern, not furious. o Sparkle Shot becomes Glitter Shot (“Glitzer-Schuss”). o Sparkle Shot Maximum Impact becomes Glitter Shot Maximum Power (“Glitzer-Schuss Maximale Power”). o April’s siblings retain their English names, and unfortunately, they aren’t that well-acted. Plus, the oldest brother sounds much older than he looks. *Chloe transforms into Glitter Blue (“Glitter Blau”). Her voice actress is Maren Borrmann, whose only anime role is this. Unfortunately, she sounds too old for the role. She also doesn’t emote much, but that fits with Chloe’s reserved character, and she does turn it up at more dramatic moments. However, there are still some points where she needs to emote more. o Sparkle Blizzard becomes Glitter Blizzard (“Glitzer-Blizzard”). o Sparkle Blizzard Arrow becomes Glitter Blizzard Arrow '''(“Glitzer-Blizzard Pfeil”). *Jubiland is renamed '''Jubelland. o Candy retains her name. Oddly, she has two voice actresses. In the first half of the show, she’s voiced by Mandy Müller. This show is her only anime role, and she doesn’t do the best job. Sure, she’s better at emoting than Debi Derryberry was at the beginning, but her voice is annoying rather than cute. It isn’t anything horrible (for horrible voices, see Mepple, Flappy, Coco, and Nuts of the first five Pretty Cure seasons), but it still isn’t charming at all. In the second half, she’s voiced by Moira May, who does a much better job. As Candy, May is cute, expressive, and a joy to listen to. § Queen Candy is still Queen Candy (“Königin Candy” in German). May portrays her well in calm moments, but she shortchanges moments of sadness and panic, such as Euphoria dying and Queen Candy trying to rescue her friends. o Pop retains his name. His voice actor is Jan Langer. Glitter Force is the only anime he’s been in; however, he voices April’s dad as well as Pop. He does a good job sounding caring and brotherly at some moments and stern at others. o Queen Euphoria retains her name, but it’s “Königin Euphoria” in German. Her voice actress is Kerstin Draeger. When Draeger debuts in episode 1, she sounds way too calm for a half-dead queen begging for help from the Glitter Force. However, in season 2, she becomes much more emotive. She’s still regal and reserved, but she actually sounds human. § Draeger also provides the voice of the Glitter Pacts. They retain their name in this dub, though they’re “Glitter-Pakts” in German. Unlike in the English dub, where the Glitter Pacts’ voices are more emotive than Euphoria, Draeger gives them a completely emotionless voice. This is understandable, as the Glitter Pacts are machines. * The Shadow Realm seems to be called the Shadow Realms (“Schattenreichs” in German). o Ulric retains his name. His voice actor is Thomas Petruo.Like in the Japanese and English version, Ulric has a gravelly voice that is charmingly evil… sometimes. However, there are moments where Ulric just sounds dull and Petruo is doing the bare minimum when voicing him. o Brute becomes Brutus, and his voice actor is Walter Wigand. (The IMDb page may not be correct, as it doesn’t have Glitter Force in his list of roles.) Unfortunately, Wagand’s performance leaves a bit to be desired. Sure, he does okay with emoting and he sounds evil enough, but his voice is too high-pitched and a bit too quiet. Plus, while he hits all the emotional beats, he lacks the over-the-top quality that makes Brute special. o Brooha becomes Bruja, and her voice actress is Emily Schubert. This is her only anime, though Bruja isn’t her only character; she also voices a newscaster in episode 8. We’re doing a lot better with her. Schubert is just as hammy, fun, and amusingly evil as her Japanese and American counterparts. Good on her! o Rascal retains his name. His voice actor is Alessandro Alioto, who also voices Jared, the student council president. He does a great job as Rascal, and he’s just as fun and creepy as his Japanese and American counterparts. o Emperor Nogo retains his name but is called “Kaiser Nogo” in German. Oddly enough, whoever voiced him never appeared in the credits. I have no idea why, but that’s just wrong. Whoever is behind it put effort into it, and the dub acts like he doesn’t exist. Even worse, it seems like it isn’t one, but two voice actors who aren’t credited. Nogo has a much different voice in the first season than the second. In his first appearance in episode 23->20, Nogo’s voice is ridiculously high-pitched and gravelly. He sounds more like a Muppet than the Emperor of Evil. Fortunately, in episodes 47->39 and 48->40, he sounds much more menacing. o The Buffoons retain their name. Their voice actor is Erik Wildfang (epic name, by the way). Glitter Force is his only anime, but he also voices the policeman that Bruja keeps running into. As the Buffoons, Wildfang does okay. He emotes well, but there’s something off about his voice, most notably when a Buffoon is killed. He sounds kind of like a 90’s surfboarder stereotype when a Buffoon shouts its name for the last time. § Super Buffoons retain their name. § Twilight Buffoons become Shadow Buffoons (“Schatten Buffoon” is the singular in German) o The Glitter Shadow Force is renamed the Shadow Force. Like in the Japanese and American versions, they seem to share the voice actresses of their good counterparts. § Shadow Lucky’s attack, Shadow Force Heartbreaker, retains its name. § Shadow Sunny’s attack, Shadow Force Fireball, retains its name. § Shadow Peace’s attack, Shadow Force Thunder Blow, retains its name, but it’s called “Shadow Force Donnerschlag” in German. The subtitles say, “Shadow Force Blitzschlag”, or “Shadow Force Lightning Blow”, instead. § Shadow Spring’s attack, Shadow Force Corner Kick, retains its name (I think), but it’s called “Shadow Force Eckstoß” in German. § Shadow Breeze’s attack, Shadow Force Avalanche, retains its name, but it’s called “Shadow Force Lawine” in German. * And now for the miscellaneous items and attacks: o Glitter Charms are called Glitter Stones (“Glitter Steinen” in German). o The phrase the girls say to transform is Glitter Force Transformation (“Glitter Force Verwandlung” in German). How original. o I don’t know what the Charm Chest is called in the German dub. The subtitles say it retains the name of Charm Chest (“Amulettschatulle” in German), but that doesn’t match up with the name of the Glitter Stones or the spoken dialogue. o The Wheel of Doom is the Doom Wheel (“Untergangsrad” in German). o Tiara Mode Torrent is (I believe) Tiara-Mode Power Blow (“Tiara-Modus Powerschlag” in German). o The Princess Wands retain their names and are called “Prinzessin-Stabs” in German. o The Royal Clock retains its name and is called “die Königsuhr” in German. o The Miracle Jewel retains its name and is called the “Wunderjuwel” in German. o Rainbow Burst becomes Rainbow Explosion (“Regenbogen Explosion” in German). § Royal Rainbow Burst becomes Royal Rainbow Explosion (“Königliche Regenbogen Explosion” in German). · Unlike in the American version, the incantation for Royal Rainbow Explosion is different from Rainbow Explosion. In Rainbow Explosion, Glitter Pink says, “Pink, red, green, blue, yellow!”; in Royal Rainbow Explosion, she says, “Pink, orange, yellow, green, blue!” § Miracle Rainbow Burst becomes Miracle Rainbow Explosion (“Wunder Regenbogen Explosion” in German). o Sparkle Fire Shot becomes Glitter Fire Shot (“Glitzer-Feuerschuss” in German). o Sparkle Lightning Blizzard retains its name and is called “Funkelnder-Blitz Blizzard” in German. Overall, I unfortunately have to rank the German dub lower than the English dub. Even some of the best actors in this dub have some moments where they just aren’t getting into their roles, and there are enough actors that just don’t fit that put this one into the myriad of dubs that are overall poorly-acted. Latin-American Spanish There are two Spanish dubs of this show: one in European Spanish and one in Latin-American Spanish. The latter is the first I was able to come by. Like the German dub and most foreign-language dubs, the Spanish dub is based off Glitter Force. Also like the German dub, the members of the Glitter Force are named after their colors, and it’s too faithful to the English dub at the same points. At least the subtitles are accurate… until you get to the second season. Unlike the German dub, which left “Glitter Force” untranslated, this dub renames them the Glitter Army, or “Ejército Brillante” in Spanish. Emily retains her name, but Glitter Lucky becomes Glitter Pink (“Glitter Rosa” in Spanish). Her voice actress is Maria José Estévez. Estévez does a great, emotional, and energetic performance as Emily. o Sparkle Storm becomes Glitter Storm (“Tormenta Brillante” in Spanish). o Cinderella Sparkle Storm becomes Cinderella Glitter Storm (“Cenicienta Tormenta Brillante” in Spanish). o Sparkle Storm Shining becomes Glitter Storm Shining (“Tormenta Brillante Reluciente” in Spanish). Kelsey retains her name, but Glitter Sunny becomes Glitter Orange '''(“Glitter Naranja” in Spanish). Her voice actress is Paula Andrea Barros. She sounds distinctly more tomboyish and gravelly than her Japanese and American counterparts. However, being different doesn’t make her any less good. o Sparkle Fire becomes '''Shining Flame (“Llama Reluciente” in Spanish). In episode 2, it’s misnamed Fire Attack (“Ataque de Fuego” in Spanish). o Sparkle Fire Inferno becomes Shining Flame Inferno (“Llama Reluciente Infierno” in Spanish). · Lily retains her name, but Glitter Peace becomes Glitter Yellow (“Glitter Amarilla” in Spanish). Her voice actress is Ana Carolina Grajales. I have such mixed feelings about her job as Lily/Yellow. For one, she seems to put on two different personas for her: a confident one in the transformation and attacks, and a shy one everywhere else. Sometimes, magical girls have different personalities when transformed, but given that Glitter Yellow is still a scared crybaby after transforming, the confident persona doesn’t seem right. Also, Grajales sometimes under-acts, but sometimes gets her emotions spot-on. o Sparkle Lightning becomes Shining Bolt (“Rayo Reluciente” in Spanish). o The first time Sparkle Lightning Hurricane is used, it’s renamed Hurricane of Shining Bolts (“Huracán de Rayos Relucientes” in Spanish). However, when it’s used in the fight against Shadow Peace, it’s called Glitter Storm Hurricane (“Tormenta Brillante Huracán” in Spanish). o Goldenlight keeps her name and is called “Luzdorada” in Spanish. It isn’t listed who voiced her, but she under-acts. It’s especially noticeable in her wordless vocalizations. · April retains her name, but Glitter Spring becomes Glitter Green (“Glitter Verde” in Spanish). Her voice actress is Patricia Azán (I’d link to her IMDb page like I’ve done with everyone else, but it has pitifully little information about her). Azán does a good job as April, though occasionally she under-acts. o Sparkle Shot becomes Shining Shot (“Tiro Reluciente” in Spanish). o Sparkle Shot Maximum Impact becomes Shining Shot Maximum Impact (“Tiro Reluciente Impacto Maximo” in Spanish). o April’s siblings retain their names and are well-acted compared to their English versions. The only exception is Hugo, the second-youngest brother. While most young boys have feminine voices and are thus voiced by women in animation, Hugo is voiced by a man. This would be jarring, but it’s made worse by his voice actor trying to hide it by making his voice a soft falsetto. The result is quite grating, though not as bad as the old ghost fairy in the Japanese version of episode 24->21. · Chloe retains her name, but Glitter Breeze becomes Glitter Blue (“Glitter Azul” in Spanish). Her voice actress is Adriana López. According to TVTropes, Chloe is considered to have the worst Latin American voice because her think Columbian accent (which has the same connotations to Spanish speakers as Caribbean English does to English speakers) doesn’t fit her smart and reserved personality. However, as an outsider with no idea how Spanish is supposed to sound, I can only judge her acting based on her emoting. And it’s not very good. Sure, sometimes it’s nice, as in her transformation, but other than that, she severely under-acts. Fortunately, it isn’t too noticeable outside of tense fight scenes, as Chloe is normally calm and cool. o Sparkle Blizzard becomes Shining Snowfall (“Nevada Reluciente” in Spanish). o Sparkle Blizzard Arrow becomes Shining Snowfall Arrow (“Flecha de Nevada Reluciente” in Spanish). o I don’t know where else to put this, but Student Council President Jared’s voice is not a good fit at all. He’s supposed to be a middle schooler, yet he sounds like an adult. Fortunately, he rarely appears. · Jubiland is renamed Jubilandia. o Candy retains her name. Like Chloe, she’s voiced by Adriana López. Candy’s voice is way too low for a tiny, kindergarten-level pixie. Plus, sometimes her emotions sound a bit off. At least she doesn’t under-act, though. § Queen Candy retains her name and is called “la Reina Candy” in Spanish. Her voice acting remains the same, but at least it fits her better now that she’s bigger. The only problem I has is that when Queen Euphoria dies, her sorrow is a little bit fake. But hey, unlike with Chloe, López is clearly giving it her all. o Pop retains his name. His voice actor is Pablo Azar. Azar’s voice acting is okay, as his emoting is mostly on-point, but his slightly-gravelly voice doesn’t fit him as well as his Japanese and English voices. o Queen Euphoria becomes Queen Euforia (“Reina Euforia” in Spanish). It’s never listed anywhere who voiced her. As with Nogo in the German dub, this really sucks, especially since she does a good job as her. She perfectly captures Euforia’s personality and emotions. § I believe she also provides the voice of the Glitter Pacts, which are renamed Glitter Compacts (“Polveras Brillantes” in Spanish). She does just as good of a job with them as she does with Euforia. · The Shadow Realm is renamed the''' Kingdom of Shadows''' (“El Reino de las Sombras” in Spanish). o Ulric retains his name. His voice actor is Orlando Noguera. He does a good job as Ulric, but he doesn’t sound as cool as his Japanese and English counterparts. o Brute becomes Bruto. His voice actor is Eduardo Wasveiler. While he emotes well, he sometimes sounds generically evil instead of having the dumb quality to his voice that makes Bruto unique. o Brooha retains her name. Fun fact: the name Brooha comes from the Spanish word “bruja”, meaning witch. This means that for Spanish audiences, having Brooha retain her name is like having a witch named Wyttch. Anyway, she shares her voice actress, Patricia Azán, with April. Azán does a fine job at playing both the old and young versions of Brooha. o Rascal retains his name. Oddly, in the first episode he appears in, he seems to have a completely different voice actor than in the rest of the show. In episode 6, he’s portrayed very well. However, after this, his voice takes a serious drop in quality. The new voice actor puts on a breathy, high-pitched voice and hardly emotes at all. It’s a disgrace to the character. Even worse is that neither of the actors are credited. I’m sensing a serious problem here. o Emperor Nogo retains his name and is caller “Emporador Nogo” in Spanish. Like Rascal, he seems to have two voice actors, neither of whom are specified. In his first appearance in episode 23->20, he emotes properly and sounds evil, but his voice isn’t as menacing as it could be because it’s too high-pitched. The voice is much more fitting in episodes 47->39 and 48->40, but the voice actor under-acts a bit. o Buffoons are renamed Bufóns (which is just a Spanish translation of the original name). Like Ulric, they’re voiced by Orlando Noguera. Usually, Noguera does a good job, but in episode 34 (and maybe others; I don’t have time to watch every single episode in every single language), his vocalizations are painfully under-acted. o The Glitter Shadow Force is renamed the Shadow Glitter Army (“Ejército Brillante de las Sombras” in Spanish). § Shadow Lucky’s attack, Shadow Force Heartbreaker is renamed Shadow Army Heartbreaker (“Ejército de las Sombras Rompecorazones” in Spanish). § Shadow Sunny’s attack, Shadow Force Fireball is renamed Shadow Army Fireball (“Ejército de las Sombras Bola de Fuego” in Spanish). § Shadow Peace’s attack, Shadow Force Thunder Blow is renamed Shadow Army Bolt (“Ejército de las Sombras Rayo” in Spanish). § Shadow Spring’s attack, Shadow Force Corner Kick, is renamed Shadow Army Free Kick (“Ejército de las Sombras Tiro Libre” in Spanish). § Shadow Breeze’s attack, Shadow Force Avalanche, is renamed Avalanche of the Shadow Army (“Avalancha del Ejército de las Sombras” in Spanish). · Miscellaneous items and attacks: o Glitter Charms retain their name and are called “Amuletos Brillantes” in Spanish. o To transform, the girls say, “Transformation of the Glitter Force!” (“Transformación del Ejército Brillante” in Spanish). This phrase is long in comparison to the Japanese transformation phrase, so to squeeze it into the lip flaps, they have to say the phrase very quickly. o The Charm Chest retains its name and is called “el Cofre de Amuletos” in Spanish. o The Wheel of Doom becomes the Wheel of Destruction (“la Rueda de la Destrucción” in Spanish). o Tiara Mode Torrent retains its name and is called “Modo Tiara Torrent” in Spanish. o The Princess Wands retain their name and are called “Varitas de Princesa” in Spanish. o The Royal Clock retains its name and is called “el Reloj Real” in Spanish. o The Miracle Jewel becomes the Miraculous Jewel (“la Joya Milagrosa” in Spanish). o Rainbow Burst retains its name and is called “Estallido Arcoíris” in Spanish. § Royal Rainbow Burst retains its name and is called “Estallido Acroíris Real” in Spanish. § Miracle Rainbow Burst is renamed Royal Rainbow Burst '''(“Estallido Acroíris Real” in Spanish). o Sparkle Fire Shot becomes '''Shining Flame Shot (“Tiro de Llama Reluciente” in Spanish). o Sparkle Lightning Blizzard becomes Shining Lightning Blizzard (“Nevada de Rayo Reluciente” in Spanish). My overall opinion of this dub is lower than my opinion of the German dub. Most of the actors weren’t getting into their roles, even if the voices of Emily, Kelsey, Queen Euforia, and most of the villains were good. Plus, Rascal’s Latin-American voice is… not very good. Category:Blog posts